'They died in his house'

Ian Huntley admits that Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman died soon after going into his home in Soham, a court heard this afternoon.

In a dramatic development, it was revealed for the first time that Huntley says he was alone in the house with the 10-year-olds on the evening they died and that he buried their bodies.

Richard Latham, QC, prosecuting, said: "We understand from those representing Huntley it is unlikely to be disputed by Huntley that the girls went into his home shortly after 6.30pm. That Huntley was the only other person there at the time and that they died within a short time of going inside his home."

The girls vanished from the Cambridgeshire town on Sunday 4 August last year. Their bodies were discovered near Lakenheath, Suffolk, 13 days later.

Mr Latham told the Old Bailey: "It was Huntley who took their bodies to the place where they were found."

'Key admissions'

He added: "Some time ago, when the two counts of murder on this indictment were put to him, he pleaded not guilty. To this day he maintains that stance, not guilty.

"Unless and until we prove that he is responsible for the deaths of Holly and Jessica and each death amounted to murder, he is of course not guilty of these two charges."

On the day the Crown opened their case the jury was told that Huntley's lawyers have made "several key" admissions to the prosecution.

Mr Latham added: "We still need to place the evidence before you that we suggest would satisfy you that he killed the two girls." He said the focus of the trial is "likely to turn on whether or not it can be established that the deaths, while he was there in his house, amounted to murder".

'Fell into his hands'

Mr Latham told the jury that Holly and Jessica "fell into the hands of Huntley" soon after they had had left a family barbecue.

Within a matter of moments, or at the most hours, for some reason known only to him he chose to murder them both," Mr Latham added.

Huntley took the bodies to sparse woodland 15 miles away where he "anticipated they would never be found and in that objective he was very nearly successful."

Huntley and his girlfriend Maxine Carr, 26, were arrested soon after the remains were found.

Carr is accused of conspiring to give him a false alibi for the evening the girls disappeared which she denies.

Mr Latham said: "She was involved in dishonest deceptive behaviour which was not simply an isolated misjudgment on the spur of the moment instantly regretted, it was a convincing and cold blooded course of conduct."

Huntley knew exactly what he was doing after the girls deaths, said Mr Latham.

"We cannot call as part of the prosecution case anyone who can tell you what happened in that house" he said. "There is now only one person alive who was there that evening. However we can call evidence from which we will invite you to draw inferences as to what happened in that house or what can not have happened - and I am talking about an accident."

'Missing four hours'

Of the days between the deaths and the discovery of the bodies he said of Huntley "There is evidence of a calculating and manipulative individual who knew precisely what he was up to. He was trying to get away with murder."

Huntley was seen about 15 minutes before Holly and Jessica disappeared and then not sighted again for another four hours, the court heard.

Mr Latham said: "To drive to the burial site and back and leave the bodies would take no more than a maximum of one-andahalf hours." Mobile phone experts say that Jessica's phone had been electronically detached from the Vodafone network at 6.46pm on the day she disappeared. The detachment could have taken place when somebody switched the phone off or if the battery had run down.

But it was signed off from the Burwell beacon which can only be picked up in small areas of Soham - one of which is right outside No 5 College Close, the home of Huntley, the court heard.

'Series of lies'

"Whatever happened to Holly and Jessica happened when he was with them early that Sunday evening. He had the presence of mind to remove them from that house in Soham to where they would not be found."

As people mounted a huge search in Soham that evening Huntley told a series of lies about seeing the girls, it was alleged. At one stage he spent an hour with a woman police dog handler, helping her to search.

The court heard that he "didn't seem concerned or worried and said nothing about having seen the girls although just minutes later he told the police sergeant he had seen them at 6 pm in the village".

Mr Latham said: "He seemed 'very together' at this point when he had just removed two bodies from his home and dumped them miles away."

'Smelled of soap'

In the early hours of the morning police sergeant Pauline Nelson noticed him "hovering at the edge of a group of people but not doing anything to help the search."

She noticed he smelled of soap or aftershave and assumed he had just stepped out of the shower. He stayed by the open door of the police car where he could hear the radio. "A feature of his behaviour from now on emerges" said Mr Latham. "He wants to know what is going on and who knows what." When the officer challenged him on what he told a teacher about having seen the girls earlier he said: "I can't remember, my head is in a muddle, I am tired."

Mr Latham said Huntley was already covering himself at this early stage by admitting he had seen Holly and Jessica just in case anyone had seen him with them outside his home.

'Dishonest account'

Huntley knew that the police were aware that his house was close to the last confirmed sightings of the girls, the court heard.

Mr Latham said: "Huntley together with his partner Carr designed a dishonest account of events to distance him from what he had done.

"I make it clear the Crown does not suggest that Carr was in any way directly involved in the murders but her part was to provide Huntley with support for the dishonest account of his movements and actions during the critical period."

Holly's older brother Oliver chose not to come to court but his parents Kevin Wells, 40, a contract cleaner, and his wife Nicola, 36, a legal secretary, sat near the Chapmans.

The court heard that Carr was a temporary classroom assistant at St Andrew's primary school in Soham.

Teacher Joy Pederson became concerned that she was "unable to create an appropriate distance" between herself and the pupils. Holly apparently really liked Carr, the court heard.

On 23 July Carr was told that her application for a permanent post had been unsuccessful.

Contact with Holly

Mr Latham reminded the court that during her time at the school, Carr came into contact with and knew Jessica and Holly and had developed a "particular affinity" with Holly.

She allowed the girls to call her Maxine, he said. On the last day of term, Carr was seen in the school and Holly was seen giving her a card and saying "I'll see you around," the barrister said.

Mr Latham said that in July, despite being told she did not have a job, Carr went back into the school. Another teaching assistant saw Holly go up to her, give her a card and call her Maxine. He said Carr showed the card to the other teaching assistant. Holly had also given Carr a Celebration box of chocolates, Mr Latham said.

He said this had been confirmed by Carr in a police interview. Holly was aware Carr had not got the job.

The jury was shown a photocopy of the card. Mr Latham said: "It is relevant in that you will actually see the original of that card on a videotape played to you later."

He said it featured during the period the girls were missing.

Drinking in pubs

On the evening Holly and Jessica disappeared Carr was drinking in pubs more than 100 miles away in Grimsby, the court heard.

But she lied to police about her whereabouts right up to the time when she was arrested, the jury was told.

The day before the girls vanished, Saturday 3 August, Carr had been driven by Huntley's parents from Soham to Grimsby so she could visit her mother Shirley Capp.

According to mobile phone records she was in contact with Huntley that weekend. Mr Latham said there were discrepancies between when Carr spoke to Huntley and what she admitted to police after her arrest. Carr was out drinking with her mother on Sunday when the girls disappeared. Mr Latham said there were a number of calls between Huntley and Carr on that day.

At 6.24pm there was a call between Carr's mobile and Huntley's mobile which lasted two minutes and 13 seconds - what he described as "two important minutes".

There was also a text message sent by Carr's mobile at 6.30pm.

Mr Latham said: "After arrest, and I emphasise this, Carr was to say that Huntley phoned her at around 6pm. The court heard that in that call Huntley said that Holly and Jessica had asked after Carr.

Carr lived with Huntley in a twostorey, three-bedroom detached house which was part of the job package as caretaker of Soham Village College.

House refurbished

Huntley took over that position on 26 November, 2001, and the couple moved in a few months later after it was refurbished. Mr Latham said: "That may well be important - major physical refurbishment of the house at the time they moved into it."

He said the couple had lived with Huntley's parents Kevin and Lynda Huntley, in Littleport, a few miles north east of Soham, before moving into the caretaker's cottage.

Mr Latham said that in August last year Huntley owned a red, five-door Fiesta. "We say that motor car is one of the keys to this case," he said.

Mr Latham went through a number of names that the jury would become familiar with, starting with Carr's mother Mrs Capp and Mrs Capp's next-door neighbour Marion Cliff.

Telephone evidence

Another name read out was Huntley's father Kevin, who had separated from the defendant's mother by last year and was living in Littleport with a woman called Sandra Brewer.

The court heard that Mr Huntley snr was also a school caretaker, at Littleport primary school. Huntley's parents got back together after August last year, Mr Latham said.

He explained that while he was with Ms Brewer, Mr Huntley snr had connections to two addresses in Suffolk and one in particular - Wangford Cottage, Wangford.

The final name mentioned was Huntley's paternal grandmother Lily Gollings, who lives in Lakenheath. Mr Latham said: "Telephone evidence, we say, is very important in this case." The case continues.